walsh



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. E. WALSH.

DREDGING MACHINE.

No. 357,880. Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

N. PHERS. mawumc m m. Walhingion. u. a

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. E. WALSH.

DREDGING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

lllw l l lil m 5 0 i m l I 1 1 I d v H hwu| w X? W D m M Q m UNITED STATES JOHN E. WALSH, on NEW roan, N. Y.

DREDGlNG-MACHINE.

FJ'PECIPICATION forming Application filed March 17, 1386. Serial No. 195,510.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. WALsH, a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredging-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce an excavator that shall be capable of removing rapidly and economically the material-such as sand or mud-at the bottom of rivers or harbors, as in removing bars or laying foundations. In this respect reference maybe had to Letters Patent No. 328,095, granted to me October 13, 1885, upon which invention the present application constitutes an improvement. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of my invention taken on the line a: x in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention on the line 3 g in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my invention.

The same letters refer to the same parts throughout.

For the above purposes the excavating ma- .chinery is mounted upon a base consisting of two vessels or pontons, A, which are secured at the proper distance apart by means of the braces and knees a. These pontons A are strongly built of wood or iron, as may be preferred,and are provided with water-tight compartments a, having valves a", by means of which the water may be admitted to the compartments a and the pontons sunk to such a depth as shall insure steadiness to the whole and uniformity to the work. \Vhen the pontons are to be moved, the valves a are closed and the compartments a pumped out, when the whole may be readily moved from place to place and adjusted in position by means of the propellers a and engines a", assisted by the rudder a.

Upon the top of the pontons A A are secured rails or tracks B, upon which travels a frame or bed, G,which frame is provided with rails c c, secured upon its upper part, which are laid in a position at right angles to the rails B. The frame 0 can be moved upon the rails 13 from one end of the pontons to the other by means of the windlasses b and ropes b, which part of Letters Patent No. 357,880, dated February 15,1887.

(No model.)

are provided upon the braces a, and the same will also retain the frame G in any position, as desired.

Upon the frame G is placed a carriage, D, which travels upon the rails c o in direction across the line of travel of the frame 0 upon the rails B, so that by the combined movement of the frame 0 and the carriage D the carriage 1) may be moved over the whole area inclosed between the pontons A, or from any partthereof to another part,as may be desired.

The carriage D is made to move upon the frame 0 by means of windlasses d and ropes d in manner and effect similar to those used to adjust the frame 0 on the rails 13. Shaftiug, with screws, gear or racks, or ratchets and handspokes, may be used to move either 0 or D, if preferred.

lVithin the carriage D is fitted to slide in a vertical direction a frame, E, upon which is secured the hydraulic dredger e, and in this case its motor 6, by which it is actuated; but the motor may be located elsewhere, if preferred, and the power transmitted to the dred ger e by means ofbelts and pulleys or shafting and gearing. The dredger e is provided with an excavator, 6 which is rotated by means of the sh aft a, driven by the bevel-gear c and shaft 6 which are actuated by the steam-engine F by means ofthe beltf and pulleys f, as shown. The shafts e and e are provided with grooves or splines 6 which, when acted upon by feathers in the bevelwheel and pulley in the usual manner, give the necessary rotary motion to the shafts without being affected by the motions of the frame E, carriage D, or frame 0, as described.

The frame Eis raised and lowered by means of the racks c and pinions e, as in the patent referred to. A scale, G, is fixed to the frame E,aud an index or pointer, g, is fixed upon the frame Din such a relative position as to at all times indicate the depth atwhich the excava tor may be located below the ponton A. A similar scale, g, is affixed to the hulk of the ponton A, so that by properly combining the figures shown upon the two scales 9 and G the depth of the excavator below the surface of the water may at all times be known, thus enabling the attainment of great accuracy in re- 'ducing the excavation to a uniform level surface or to make such be desirable.

Upon the carriage D is fixed aswinging derrick or crane, H, having arms h and traveling carriages h, arranged in the usual manner. From the carriages h are suspended the chutes or troughs h", which conduct the mud as excavated from the discharge-pipe e 'ofthe dredger e to the scows I, which are to convey the same to its destination.

The arrangement described above facilitates the proper adjustment of the ehu tes h to correspond with any change in the relative position of the dredge e and receiving scows I.

The receiving-scows I are made in the form of tight pontons provided with bulwarks or sides 77, which retain the load upon the deck of the scow. The deck is made'with an inclination. either double, as shown, or single, if preferred, being lowest at the sides, so that upon opening the valves or doors i provided for that purpose, the cargo of the scow will discharge itself by reason of its own gravity. The valves '6 are closed and held by means of the chains i and Windlass-shaft i. The scows I are also provided with propellers i and engines 1', by means of which they can be moved independently of the pontons A.

Swinging booms or struts K, havingjoints k at each end, which allow them to swing in every direction, are secured to the pontons A, and also to the scows or pontons I, keeping variations therein as may the two at a proper distance apart to allow of some independent vertical movement of I, as when excavating in rough water; or, if the ponton Ais resting upon the bottom, the pontons I may rise and fall to the tide without interfering in any way with the work. Spuds may also be employed, as shown at N, to steady the whole in position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination with a dredging mechanism, the double hulk consisting of two pontons, A A, each having compartments a and valves a and provided with rails B B, the braces (ta, securing the pontons together, and Windlasses b b, mounted on said braces, by means of which the dredging mechanism may be moved upon the rails B B, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.

the frame 0, carrying the dredging mechanism, and the chutes hflsubstantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the double hulk having a scale, 9, by which the height of its deck above the surface of the water is shown, with a dredging mechanism having a scale, G, showing the depth below the deck of the hulk at which it may be acting, as herein shown and described.

4. The swinging booms K, connected to the hulk and also to the receiving-pontons I by means of thejoints 70, when constructed and operated as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of March, A. D. 1886.

JOHN E. WALSH.

Witnesses:

BENJ. T. RHOADS, J r., J. H. OHEsLEY.

2. The combination of the derrickH with 

